


Relevant to my interests

by firehawk05



Category: Hakuouki
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-04-25 14:04:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4963498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firehawk05/pseuds/firehawk05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Originally posted in response to a prompt at the 31_days community (1st Oct - Relevant to my interests). Set after the events in this drama CD Shinsengumi Detective Files (新選組捕物控).  I don't own Hakuouki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Ah. Hajime-kun! Didn't expect to see you here. What are you doing?" Heisuke calls out to me from across the street. 

"Heisuke and Souji. I was choosing some books to borrow."

"Let's see what you have selected." Souji says lightly, an amused glint in his green eyes. 

"Ah. The book of Five Rings. Definitely something only Hajime-kun would pick." Souji laughs. 

"A samurai should always seek to improve his sword skill." I answer serenely. 

"Eh... Tofu hyakuchin??" Heisuke wrinkles his nose in disgust. 

"Tofu is healthy. And it seems that there are many different ways of preparing it apart from adding it to miso soup. I thought it might be useful for my next cooking duty."

"And a romance novel I see." Souji gives me a sidelong look, an expression innocent inquiry on his face. 

"Ah. And since I was here I thought I'd get something for Yukimura. The owner recommended this as being popular with women." Having rehearsed this line mentally for this eventuality, I allowed myself to take some pride in delivering this smoothly. 

A slim volume slips out from between the pages of the last book. Heisuke bends to pick it up. 

Oh. Damn it. 

"Oh. What is this? Appreciating Haiku, an introduction?" Heisuke's eyes bulge and his jaw drops open in shock. From the look of pure amused evil on Souji's face I realize that I may never hear the last of this.

As I inwardly curse the heat rising in my face, I fix them with my coldest glare and mutter icily. "That. Is relevant to my interests. And is of no concern of yours."

Then, summoning up what offended dignity I have left, I wrest the pile of books away from them and stalk off to pay, Souji's laughter echoing behind me.


	2. Sparring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted in response to a prompt at the 31_days community (2 Oct / Good secrets are hard to keep.) Loose quote of Hijikata's haiku from drama CD.

"Training again, Hajime-kun?"

Souji's voice breaks the silence of the dojo. I ignore him, focusing on swinging the wooden sword down hard on the imaginary opponent before me.

"Want to spar?" He continues, strolling over to the rack and picking up a bokken.

I regard him icily before nodding briefly in acknowledgement. We face each other and with a brief salute the match begins.

Souji attacks almost instantly, his blade swinging down towards my head. I block and hack at him savagely, making him smile and dance aside.

We spring apart, each looking for an opening.

"Spring nights are hard to pass without a friend to talk to." Okita murmurs, a teasing smile on his face.

I ignore him, slashing at his torso, making him backpedal.

"Secrets can be so hard to keep sometimes."

Another vicious thrust is thwarted.

"Are you angry, Hajime-kun?"

Our practice swords clash against each other again and again. Every slash is somehow avoided, every thrust deftly sidestepped.

Sweat drips off my bangs, running down my face. Souji is breathing hard too but a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

"Wouldn't it be fun to see Hijikata's face if..."

I resist the temptation to lunge at his throat, and instead, choose to draw back, waiting for the sudden surge of rage to ebb. We circle each other warily, watching and waiting for an opportunity.

Souji charges me, sword raised. I watch him coolly, eyes slitted. There.

My sword slams into his unguarded side. Hard.

He grins at me, his blade paused a scant thumb length above my head.

"That's mean Hajime-kun. You didn't even try to pull that blow."

"Finish it then." I say, a cold anger in my voice.

"The fight just got boring. I'm done."

My sides heaving, I stand a while catching my breath. My clothes are soaked in sweat. Which means I'll have to go take a bath and do some laundry.

"Frankly speaking, if Hajime-kun were to want to become accomplished in both military and literary arts, it would troublesome and boring and probably none of my business." Okita speaks almost to himself as he nears the entrance of the dojo. His soft voice carries across the silent room.

"It's just that if Hajime-kun were to suddenly become all poetic and stuff, you wouldn't be as fun to tease no?" And with that, he saunters out of the room.


	3. Into the unknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted in response to a prompt at the 31_days community (3rd Oct - Down the rabbit hole). The Matsuo Basho poem quoted is: 古池や蛙飛び込む水の音.

Finally, the day ends.  Souji's squad is out on patrol leaving me alone in our room. Heisuke, Sano and Shinpachi have gone out drinking, and will in all likelihood only return in morning.

  
I close my eyes and listen intently. Apart from the faint rustling of paper from the vice commanders room, the night is still.

  
Which means that it is time.

  
Hesitantly, I light the candle, and huddle close to it to read, my back to the door.  The book, for which I braved so much ridicule to obtain, is concealed carefully in the Book of Five Rings. Should anyone chance upon me, I should be able to close both books one over the other, thus covering all trace of this embarrassing private study. I listen again, all is quiet.

  
There will probably be no better opportunity than this.

  
I open the book to the first page and begin to read.

  
_Haiku is a traditional form of poetry composed of 17 syllables arranged in three metrical units of 5-7-5._   


  
So far so good.

  
_The cutting word is the essence of haiku and this signifies the manner in which the elements of the poem are related._   


  
_A seasonal reference is usually drawn from established lists of such words._   


  
As I read on, the words seem to swim before my vision and I soon become hopelessly lost.

  
I must be too tired. Perhaps this was not a good time to try to understand this.

  
No. This may be the only chance I have for a while. Next months patrol roster has not been announced yet.

  
_A good haiku should encapsulate the feelings of the scene within a few syllables._   


  
_Sometimes it is what is left unsaid that gives it meaning and interest._   


  
_A famous often quoted haiku is Basho's poem "an ancient pond / a frog jumps in / the splash of water"._   


  
Er. A frog jumps into the water which splashes. That should have been obvious, and it was written by a famous poet.

  
I glare at the words on the page but they resolutely refuse to divulge their deeper meaning. If any. Which presumably exists. Even if I can't see it.

  
Perhaps. I was not meant to understand poetry. I murmur sadly to myself, carefully concealing the book and extinguishing the candle.


	4. Remiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted in response to a prompt at the 31_days community (4 Oct - Hold it!). Set some time after Into the Unknown. Kazahana (風花) - a flurry of snow in a clear sky.

"Eh. Why is it snowing again?"

 

I look sidelong at my fellow captain.

  
"I thought Heisuke liked snow."

  
"I mean snow is good for fooling around in, but, when it falls like this, it just sticks to everything and makes it slippery and messy."

  
"Ah. I see."

  
I look up to the heavens. White flakes drift down from an otherwise cloudless sky.

  
A word surfaces from recent memory.

  
"Perhaps these are what they would refer to as kazahana?" I muse to myself.  Or so I think.

  
"Eh. Hajime-kun. What are you mumbling."

  
"Nothing. It was nothing." I clear my throat audibly and hurry to catch up.

  
_Perhaps I shouldn't have spent so much time reading the lists of kigo. I have allowed myself to become remiss in my duty. This must not happen again._   



End file.
